SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023, NOON-7PM
Welcome to the Neighborhood
Porchfest is an open-to-all celebration of music and community spread across a square mile of the Oakhurst neighborhood in Decatur, Georgia. Y'all come.(More details)
No ticket
required
No fences
or gates
Getting Here
Oakhurst is in the southwest corner of Decatur, with Agnes Scott College and the College Heights neighborhood to the east, East Lake to the south, and Atlanta's Kirkwood neighborhood to the west (map it).
We're easy to find but know this: While you're welcome to drive, it's a really, really, really, really bad idea. It's crazy hard to park, you get trapped in soul crushing congestion, and you basically end up cursing yourself and wishing you'd never been born. We make no apologies: If you don't have to drive, it's absolutely better not to.
Rather than driving, consider walking, biking, ridesharing, scootershare, or taking MARTA. Here's everything you need to know:
Ridesharing
For Uber or Lyft, skip the madness of our performance streets and get dropped off or picked up along the neighborhood's outer edge. Need an address for the app? Consider The Imperial pub at 726 West College Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030 on the north side or Perc Coffee at 2380 Hosea L Williams Dr NE #3, Atlanta, GA 30317 on the south side.
Walking
Many areas of Decatur, Kirkwood, East Lake, Druid Hills, and Lake Claire are within a healthy walk of Oakhurst. Take to the streets and get your steps in.
Biking
Bordered to the north by the Stone Mountain PATH, Oakhurst is easily accessible by bike. Cross the tracks at Atlanta Avenue and you're right where you need to be. And if you need to park it for a while, you'll find bike valet courtesy of BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) in the FitWit parking lot, 630 East Lake Drive.
Transit
For MARTA, take the Blue Line to the East Lake station and you're right at the northwestern edge of the neighborhood.
Scootershare
Coming in from other intown neighborhoods? Grab a scooter for the trip, then use it to get from porch to porch.
Still Planning to Drive?
Don't say we didn't warn you. Seriously, why are you considering this? Porchfest and cars don't mix well. At all. Driving in or around Porchfest will not only try your patience, it could send you into an existential crisis from which there is no meaningful prospect of escape.
If you're still just that stubborn, be sure to at least familiarize yourself with where to go, where to park, and what to expect in advance so you don't end up frustrated. Or worse, hurting someone. There's literally people everywhere, often in or around the street. It's a motorist's nightmare. Nightmare!
Get everything you need to know by downloading our Parking + Travel guide.
COVID Protocols
The Oakhurst Porchfest is an event characterized by radical generosity. That means exercising as much concern for others as you do for yourself and being considerate if public health factors require it.
With roughly 30 performances every hour across a square mile, you'll find plenty of room to spread out, so take whatever cautions are appropriate at the time of the event.
Shared Streets
For a variety of reasons, Porchfest does not close streets or maintain any sort of contained and controlled environment. Access is open and unrestricted for everyone throughout the event and all those using streets and sidewalks remain responsible for their own welfare, actions, and impacts on others, just as they would at any other time.
Instead, we're committed to the sharing of public space and to everyone making the effort to accommodate one another. For drivers, this means slowing down dramatically and expecting to find pedestrians, bikes, and crowds spilling out into the street. And for those enjoying the festival, it means remaining vigilant, exercising caution, and recognizing that sometimes people in cars just need to get somewhere. So relax, get out of the way when appropriate (especially in the case of emergency vehicles), and make it work. It's the neighborly thing to do.
For more information about why we're organized this way, or about how it aids in emergency response, check our traffic and safety statement.
Alcoholic Beverages
Important: Porchfest is not a festival in the conventional sense and does not have a contained and managed festival area. That means there are no alcohol sales. Event performances generally take place on private property but by default are linked by public streets and spaces in between, so be advised: When in public, you're liable for your own behavior and subject to all existing ordinances regarding alcohol consumption and public disruption. So be cool.
Restrooms
Our goal is for our visitors to always be within three blocks of a restroom. We do this by making facilities available four ways: Porta-Johns in key locations around the neighborhood; participating churches; city facilities in Oakhurst and McKoy parks; and neighborhood restaurants, who have restrooms available for patrons. Check our event program or online map for specific locations. And please take note: Porch hosts and retail shops are not expected to provide restrooms, so don't ask.
Food and Drink
Porchfest has no prohibitions on outside food so feel free to tote-your-own. But know we've also got plenty of generous hosts and grassroots providers distributed all throughout the neighborhood who'd be happy to serve you. Locations can be found on our Google map.
Further options for getting takeaway items include a number of fine neighborhood businesses — Oakhurst Market, Hop N Shop, Ale Yeah!, and Wahoo! Wine and Provisions. Just remember that all of our venues are someone’s yard so be sure to clean up after yourself.
For a step up from street food, consider one of our many local restaurants —some at the center of the neighborhood, others along our northern and southern edges.
What to Bring
Not much, if anything. Sunscreen. Camp chairs or a blanket if you plan on sitting down for a while. And if spanning the 'hood or catching the most performers possible is your goal, a bike's a great way to get around.
Pets Policy
Rules for pets — including leash laws, owner liability, and waste pick-up — are the same as they'd be on any public street at any other time. But that said, all of Porchfest's entertainment is on porches and different homeowners may have different preferences as it relates to pets on their property. So just be aware of and sensitive to that and everyone should get along fine.
In Case of Rain
In theory we're a rain or shine event but if we all wake up to weather so miserable that it's just not worth it, we'll post a cancellation announcement here.
Still Got Questions?
Chances are you'll find an answer in our FAQ but if you're still coming up short, feel free to contact us.